Pick Your Poison
by Scrawlers
Summary: Malik, via Jounouchi, was going to play a game with the Pharaoh that day. He would even be nice and let the Pharaoh pick which one. [Drabble] [Alternate beginning to the pier duel.]


**Notes:** This drabble is just an alternate beginning to the duel at the pier in Battle City, both because that duel is my favorite in the series, and because–along with my love for increased stakes–I'd like to think that, despite the obsession with Duel Monsters, we could have seen a brief return to form as far as the inclusion of other games goes.

* * *

 **Pick Your Poison**

* * *

There was something wrong with Jounouchi. Seto knew it the moment he stepped off his helicopter.

In both business and Duel Monsters, it was crucial to be able to case your opponent at a glance. Seto didn't make it a practice to get close to people, and in fact, he made it an active practice to _avoid_ doing so. But even though he avoided the sharing and caring sessions that Yuugi and his friends seemed to so enjoy, he made it a point to study people upon meeting them, to notice their tics and habits, and all the little quirks and tells that could make or break them in a shareholder's meeting or duel. The more times he saw someone, the more he learned. At this point in his life, he didn't even have to _try_ to study them. He simply did.

This was how he knew that something was wrong with Jounouchi the moment they disembarked, even as Yuugi–Jounouchi's supposed best friend–bolted toward him as if everything was fine. His posture was ramrod straight, to begin with. Jounouchi usually slouched, his weight canted to one side, his knees bent, shoulders casual. His usual energy wasn't present, either. There was no annoying fidgeting, no babble dribbling out of his mouth, and he only seemed to have eyes for Yuugi, rather than looking every which way like he normally did. As for his smile, well . . . Seto was used to seeing an asinine grin, rather than the leering smirk that parted his lips as Yuugi approached.

"I've been waiting for you to show up, Yuugi," Jounouchi said, and somehow, even the laughter in his voice sounded malicious. "I was starting to get bored."

"Bored?" Yuugi stopped short a few feet in front of Jounouchi, his fingers curled into taut fists, the muscles in his shoulders appearing just as tense as Jounouchi's did. "Jounouchi-kun–"

"–isn't available to take your call," Jounouchi said, and Yuugi's fingers, if possible, seemed to curl even tighter. "Please leave a message after the 'beep.'"

"Something's wrong," Mokuba said, and Seto glanced down to see that Mokuba was staring intently at Jounouchi, his eyes wide, his teeth biting the inside of his lower lip the way he always did when he was nervous. "Jounouchi doesn't seem like himself. It's almost like . . . it's almost like he's a different person."

"Indeed." Seto turned his own gaze back to the scene before them and added, "Stay alert, Mokuba. It will be interesting to see where this leads, but it's only just beginning."

Out of the corner of his eye, Seto saw Mokuba nod, and he allowed himself a private smile. Mokuba didn't have the observation skills that Seto had at the moment, but he was learning. He would get there someday.

"Now, I think it's time to start the show, don't you?" Jounouchi asked, and he lifted the arm that supported his Duel Disk, his teeth bared through his grin. "The stage for our duel is set not too far from here. I hope you're ready, Pharaoh; your life points won't be just for fun and show in _this_ duel."

"This duel isn't happening," Yuugi snapped, and Jounouchi raised his eyebrows as he lowered his arm back to his side. "I won't duel Jounouchi-kun, not like this."

"Oh, really." Jounouchi tilted his head to the side, a patronizing look on his face that he really had no business wearing. "How disappointing. And here I thought the great Pharaoh never ran from a challenge."

"I'm not running," Yuugi said, and Jounouchi scoffed. "I will gladly duel _you_ , Malik, but not through _him_. Release him, and duel me yourself!"

"Hmm, I _could_ do that, but somehow that just doesn't seem as fun," Jounouchi said. "But I'll tell you what, Pharaoh. If you want me to let Jounouchi go so badly, you can play me for him."

"I already told you, I won't duel–"

"No, no. Not Duel Monsters." Jounouchi reached behind him, and from the back of his waistband produced a revolver. It glinted in the sun, and Seto saw Yuugi stiffen. "There are more games in the world than Duel Monsters, so how about we play a different one?" Jounouchi produced a single bullet from his pocket, and with slow, deliberate movements, he loaded the bullet into a single chamber, spun the cylinder, and then snapped it back into place. "Perhaps Russian roulette is more your style?"

Yuugi's voice was almost a guttural growl. "Malik–!"

"Empty chamber, he stays with me. Bullet, I let him go." Jounouchi lifted the gun so that the muzzle was pressed against his temple, his smile manic. "Ready to play, Pharaoh?"

"Elder brother," Mokuba said, and despite the note of panic in Mokuba's voice, Seto found he couldn't tear his eyes away from Jounouchi and Yuugi. He was barely aware of his fingers digging into his arms through his coat. "He can't–we have to–!"

"Malik," Yuugi said, and though the growl hadn't left his voice, Seto could tell that the rise in pitch was more due to fear than anger. " _Don't_ –!"

Jounouchi's finger squeezed the trigger, and the muted click, quiet though it was, seemed to echo in the docks. Mokuba sagged in relief beside Seto, and Seto felt his own heart rate slow, though only marginally.

"Huh. Empty. I guess that means he stays with me." Jounouchi kept the muzzle of the gun against his temple, and leaned his head a little into it. "Unless you want to play again, Pharaoh? I'll give you best two out of three."

"No." Not wholly unlike when Seto found him kneeling before the Saint Dragon of Osiris, Yuugi's voice was quiet, defeated, his skin ashen. "Don't do that again. I'll duel you."

Jounouchi's grin broadened, and he flicked the safety back into place as he pulled the gun away from his head and slipped it back into his waistband. "That's more like it," he said. "Follow me, Yuugi. The stage for our duel to the death is right over here . . ."


End file.
